‘Church cannot be a state within a state’: issue included in Armenia’s ruling

For a second day in a row, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been reading out and commenting on individual points of his party’s election programme in a live broadcast. Among other issues, the Civil Contract party programme addresses the reform of the Church.

Under the ruling party’s plans, the “de facto head of the Church”, as Pashinyan’s team refers to the Catholicos, should step down.

“We are appealing to the people, because, yes, the Church is first of all the people, and elections are, in essence, a form of judicial process. The people, as the main source of legitimacy and rule of law, act as the judge. The people must deliver a fair verdict in the upcoming elections,” Pashinyan said, explaining why the issue of removing Garegin II was included in the programme.

He stressed that the Church in Armenia is separate from the state, but cannot operate outside it.

“Moreover, the Church cannot be a state within a state. This is absolutely unacceptable,” the prime minister said.

The Holy See has already condemned the party’s election programme. It said the ruling political force is making “unlawful campaign promises” to continue its actions against the Church.

Further details include what other provisions related to the Church appear in the programme, how Nikol Pashinyan comments on them, and how the Church responds.

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“The Church must be removed from politics”

The Civil Contract party’s election programme sets out key priorities for 2026–2031. It says that “renewing the Armenian Apostolic Church is a vital necessity”.

The party argues that the actions of the “de facto leadership of the Church” in recent years have distanced believers from the Church, and continue to do so. It describes this as “an issue of spiritual security”:

“This has allowed external forces to try to turn the Armenian Apostolic Church into a stronghold of hybrid warfare against Armenia’s independence and sovereignty.”

The programme outlines the following plan:

• removal of the de facto head of the Church;
• appointment of a locum tenens;
• adoption of a Church statute that preserves centuries-old traditions, while ensuring financial transparency and proper conduct of the clergy;
• election of a new Catholicos.

The document states that Armenia is a secular state and that religious organisations are separate from it. Party representatives say they respect freedom of religion and belief for all citizens. They argue that the proposed reforms “serve the full restoration of constitutional order in Armenia”. According to the ruling party, this requires removing the Church from politics.

Pashinyan: ‘The reform agenda is not against the Church‘

The prime minister says the ongoing process does not target the Church, but aims to support it.

“The Church is, first and foremost, the community of believers — the people, the congregation. Yes, the clergy are part of the Church, but the clergy are not the Church; the Church is the people,” he said.

Pashinyan also said that the parliamentary elections due in June would serve as a “judicial process” assessing the performance of the ruling majority and other political forces.

“Citizens must answer the question: to what extent is it acceptable to them that Ktrich Nersisyan [the Catholicos’s secular name] has for a long time turned the Church into a political party?”

The prime minister said the Church now formally engages in political activity. He said it delivers political messaging instead of spiritual sermons. He also argued that clergy have repeatedly crossed legal boundaries, and continue to do so, “with all the ensuing consequences.”

Response from the Mother See of Etchmiadzin: ‘This violates the Church’s right to self-governance‘

After the ruling party published its election programme, the Mother See issued a statement condemning what it described as “unacceptable provisions” concerning the Church.

It described the reform agenda, the revision of the Church statute, the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and plans for new elections as “coercion”. The clergy said the proposed reforms violate constitutional order, the Church’s right to self-governance, and fundamental international principles of freedom of conscience and religion.

Church representatives also said that “the mission of the Church, its sacred traditions and spiritual life” must not become a subject of political speculation:

“The election of the Catholicos and any reforms within the Church hierarchy fall exclusively within the spiritual and canonical sphere and are therefore outside the jurisdiction of political parties and state bodies.”

Context

Pashinyan has repeatedly raised the issue of removing the Catholicos over an extended period. He initially said that Garegin II could not lead the Church because he had allegedly broken his vow of celibacy and has a daughter. He later put forward another accusation, claiming links between the Patriarch and foreign intelligence services:

“I do not need a Catholicos who will be subordinate to me. I need a Catholicos who will not be subordinate to a senior lieutenant of a foreign intelligence service and will not report daily to officers of a foreign intelligence service.”

The prime minister made a similar allegation about Garegin II’s brother. Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan heads the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese. In December 2025, the pro-government website civic.am published a document. It said the document showed that the Patriarch’s brother had cooperated with the Soviet KGB. He allegedly used the codename “Karo”.

However, Armenia’s National Security Service declined to provide journalists with information.
The request concerned alleged links between Garegin II, Archbishop Ezras and foreign intelligence agencies. In response, the agency said the information is classified. It said operational and intelligence data counts as a state secret.